WILLIAM BRITTON
Convicted at the Sessions at the Old Bailey, December, 1810, of stealing from a coffee-house bedroom, and sentenced to transportation
WILLIAM BRITTON alias Symer Mark Taylor, a stout-looking young man, was indicted for stealing thirty-five guineas, a half- guinea in gold, and four foreign pieces of gold coin, called moors, of the value of four guineas, from Andrew M'Intyre, Esq.
The prisoner went into the Cannon Coffee-House at Charing Cross, about three o'clock on the 17th of November, dressed in a naval uniform. He ordered dinner, and in the course of dinner asked the waiter if there were any other naval officers then in the house. Being informed that there were two or three naval gentlemen then in the house, he ordered a bed, and went out about six o'clock, on pretence of going to the play. He returned to the coffee-house at half-past nine, saying he had come away before the after-piece, ordered supper, and was shown to bed at half-past ten. Shortly after, the chambermaid, being in a room immediately under the prisoner, heard a noise over her head, and entering the room of Lieutenant Maitland, which adjoined the prisoner's, she found that Mr Maitland's trunk had been taken out of his room. Having communicated this to her master, he went up to the prisoner's room, which was locked. The prisoner admitted the landlord, and threw himself into bed, lying between the sheets with his clothes and boots on. A number of articles were perceived scattered about the room. The landlord immediately locked up the prisoner. Having procured an officer, his room was searched, when they found Mr Maitland's trunk, which had been forced open. Eighteen guineas, two of the foreign coins and some linen were also found in a chest of drawers in the room; and two guineas, in a piece of brown paper, and a chisel, under the mattress. The rest of the money for which the prisoner was indicted was found upon him the next day, in one of his boots. Mr M'Intyre, to whom this money belonged, had requested Mr Maitland to place it for security in his trunk. The prisoner's sorry appearance could have hardly allowed one to suppose that he had ever successfully personated a gentleman. Found guilty -- transportation.